The mayors of Canada’s biggest cities are asking the federal government to prod their provincial counterparts to pony up more cash for transit projects.
In a letter sent to Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sohi, the head of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities big cities mayors caucus asks the Liberals to make sure that provinces match federal
funding for transit projects, so as not to saddle cities with more costs.
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Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson writes that cities wouldn’t be able to handle the costs to build and operate transit routes without matching contributions from provincial governments.
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The federal government plans to cover up to 40 per cent of transit expansion projects under the upcoming phase of its infrastructure plan, and half the cost of repairs, which is more than the traditional three-way funding split in many existing infrastructure programs.
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The Liberals hoped the change under the second phase of the government’s infrastructure would nudge provinces to match federal cash.
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The federal government is negotiating funding arrangements with provinces that will outline how the new infrastructure money can be spent and how much the provinces are expected to pay for projects.
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